ROUSH Expands Propane Vehicle Lineup with F-250 Pickup

Posted by Zahari Mladenov on 23 February 2009, 11:57 AM

ROUSH® unveiled the next propane-powered vehicle in its lineup – the 2010 ROUSH® Liquid Propane Injected F-250.
The ROUSH® propane-powered F-250 immediately received considerable interest among the attendees, many of whom had been looking for a medium-duty truck that could offer both lower operating costs and lower greenhouse emissions for their fleet.

"We have had tremendous interest in the ROUSH® propane-powered F-150 and sold several hundred vehicles and conversion kits, but we had people tell us that they would be much more interested if there was a medium-duty pickup available," said Joe Thompson, vice-president and general manager of ROUSH®Performance. "With that in mind, we went to the Propane Education & Research Council (PERC), who has been our strong supporter in developing propane vehicles, and took the next steps to expanding the ROUSH® lineup with the F-250. The interest has already spiked conversations with several large fleet accounts that are interested in converting their fleet to run on propane. We are looking forward to providing what they are looking for in terms of lower costs to run the vehicle and lower greenhouse gas emissions."

According to research provided by the PERC, propane is the most widely used alternative fuel today, with more than 10 million vehicles around the world using it as a fuel. Operating costs typically range from 5 to 30 percent less than those of a gasoline-powered fleet, and, on average, create 20 percent less nitrous oxide, up to 60 percent less carbon monoxide and fewer particulate emissions.

With deliveries anticipated to start in the third quarter, ROUSH® will make this product available in two forms; customers can choose either a complete ROUSH®-assembled vehicle that will have a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty, or a conversion kit to fit existing trucks in the field, which also carries the same warranty. The conversion kit will also fit 2009 F-250 pickups that may be in service.

The order banks for both the vehicle and the conversion kit, both of which are true OEM-quality in terms of engineering and materials, are now open. Among the components changed are the fuel tank with multi-valve fuel pump; stainless steel fuel lines; billet aluminum fuel rails; an upgraded custom ROUSH® PCM calibration; and all necessary wiring, hardware and instructions.

The kit will have a retail price of $7,995 (installation, shipping and taxes are additional), and qualifies for a federal tax credit of $4,500. There are also a number of state, regional, and local tax credits and rebates available for the purchase and implementation of alternative fuel vehicles. Additionally, propane prices per gallon are normally significantly much lower than gasoline or diesel, and with the proper infrastructure in place, a fleet user can qualify for a 50-cent tax credit per gallon used.

The ROUSH® propane-powered F-250 will come standard with an in-bed tank offering 55-usable gallons of fuel. This will allow a range of approximately 450 miles, depending on the chassis and driving habits. An under-bed propane tank will be available (with a range of approximately 250 miles) for users who don't consider range as important as bed capacity.

There will be no loss of horsepower, torque or towing capacity on the ROUSH® propane-powered F-250 as compared to the truck's gasoline-powered equivalent. The truck will have all federal, CARB and Canadian certifications.

ROUSH® has long been considered Detroit's foremost Tier 1 advanced powertrain engineering company and well known for producing massive horsepower from gasoline engines. Now this same company has turned their resources toward helping fleet customers save money and reduce greenhouse gasses by utilizing propane as an engine fuel. The company launched a propane F-150 in 2007 and has plans for several additional vehicles over the next few years.